This syllabus is subject to change and should be checked by students on a regular basis.

 

Western Intellectual Traditions I

RPH201

MWF 11:00-11:50 a.m.

Paul Custodio Bube, Ph.D.

Fall, 2004

Office Hours: Lyon 321

MWF: 8:00-8:50 a.m.; 10:00-10:50 a.m.

TTh:  8:00 a.m.-9:20 a.m.

or by appointment

Phone: 698-4351

E-mail: pcbube@lyon.edu

 

Nature and Purpose of the Course:

For as long as there have been human beings, there have been conversations. Most conversations in the past, like those today, were ephemeral and trivial. Some conversations, however, were not only recorded thousands of years ago, but have been continued. One might identify a culture or tradition as a shared conversation about common concerns. WIT I & II provides both an introduction to some of the conversations that have given shape to the ephemeral thing we call Western Tradition and Culture. We will have an opportunity to participate in these conversations and to continue them. The first semester will cover ancient western tradition through the height of the Middle Ages in Europe. The second semester will cover the Reformation and early modern period to the present. Each semester will explore the development of the Western Tradition through analysis of and writing about key texts from representative periods.

 

Course Objectives:

 

Required Readings:

All readings for the first semester of this course can be found on the Internet. See the Course Outline below for links to the specific readings and the dates they are due. It is crucial that students read all of the readings in advance of their due date in order to participate fully in class.

 

Requirements:

Reading, discussion, and writing are at the core of this class. Grading is as follows:

 

In-class participation includes attendance, meaningful contribution to class discussions, and occasional presentations of historical background related to the assigned readings. (There will be at least one for students working in pairs).

Blogging participation includes weekly contributions to the course blog posted at http://rph201.blogspot.com/ . Be sure to sign your name to your comments on the topic you read at the blog. Your blogging participation will be evaluated on thoughtfulness, understanding of the material we're reading, and clarity. Students are encouraged to comment more than once a week. Blogs are due by Friday of each week, with the first blog due no later than August 20. (There will not be a blog due during the week of Thanksgiving break.)

Quizzes will be given on-line through Educator at https://online.lyon.edu . Their primary purpose is to determine whether students understand the readings.

Essays will be 4-5 page discussions relating the material we've covered to a modern issue of your choice. For example, you may want to discuss how the ideas of Gilgamesh are reflected in Star Trek or how the 2004 Presidential Campaign illustrates issues raised in Augustine's Confessions. The idea here is to be creative, thoughtful, and to see relationships between the great questions and issues of the past and those we face today.

The Final Exam is an opportunity to explore a great work or thinker of the Western Intellectual Tradition (prior to the Reformation) that we did not cover. Students will be expected to read the work or thinker of their choice and to present the ideas there "in character"--that is, as if the student were the thinker or a character in the work come back today to share the wisdom of that time. These presentations should be about 15 minutes long and accompanied by handouts for the rest of the class.

All graded work in this class is to be pledged in accordance with the Lyon College Honor Code.

Grading Scale: A=90-100; B=80-89; C=70-79; D=60-69; F=0-59

 

Attendance:

Each student will be allowed one unexcused absence. For each subsequent unexcused absence, the student’s In-class participation grade will be dropped the equivalent of one full letter grade.

Please note: Students seeking reasonable accommodations based on documented learning disabilities should contact the Office of Academic Services at 698-4332.

Course Outline:

Week 1-2 (Aug. 18-Sep. 1):

Epic of Gilgamesh at http://www.mythome.org/Gilgamesh.html

 

Week 3 (Sep. 3-Sep. 6):

Excerpts from The Odyssey at http://www.perseus.org/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136&query=book%3D%231 (Read Books 1-2, 9, 17-23)

 

Week 4 (Sep. 8-10):

Sophocles: Oedipus the King http://www.perseus.org/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0192

 

Week 5 (Sep. 13-17):

Plato

Book VII of Republic: http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/platoscave.html

Apology: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0170&query=head%3D%232

Phaedo: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0170;query=section%3D%23255;layout=;loc=Phaedo%2057b

Essay 1 is due by Sept. 17

Week 6 (Sep. 20-24):

Aristotle's  Nichomachean Ethics, Books 1 & 2:  http://www.perseus.org/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0054&query=bekker%20page%3D%231&layout=&loc=1094b%201

Sep. 22 is Service Day -- classes do not meet

Quiz 1 is due on Educator by midnight, Sep. 26. -- CLICK HERE FOR STUDY GUIDE

 

Week 7 (Sep. 27-Oct. 1):

Old Testament, Genesis, chapters 1-3; Exodus, chapters 1-15 and 19-20 and Ecclesiastes (all) (your choice of translation) Click here for slides covering the Old Testament

 

Week 8-9 (Oct. 4-11):

New Testament, Gospel of Mark (entire) Matthew chapters 1-5; Gospel of Luke chapters 8, 10, 15, 22-24; Gospel of John chapters 1-4; Acts of the Apostles chapters 1-10; Romans chapters 1-5; James (all)

Oct. 7-8 is Fall Break

Week 9-11 (Oct. 13-27):

Augustine: Confessions Books I-VIII: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/augustine/conf.pdf

Quiz 2 is due on Educator by midnight, Oct. 28. -- CLICK HERE FOR STUDY GUIDE

Week 11-12 (Oct. 29-Nov. 5):

Anselm's Proof for the Existence of God: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/anselm.html

Abelard, chapters I-VIII: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/abelard-histcal.html and letters 1 & 2 between Heloise & Abelard: http://www.aug.edu/langlitcom/humanitiesHBK/handbook_htm/heloise&abelard.htm

Week 12-13 (Nov.5-10)

St. Francis of Assisi  (Brother Sun, Sister Moon)

 

Week 13-14 (Nov.12-Nov. 19):

(Nov. 10-12) Thomas Aquinas:

Existence of God http://www.ccel.org/a/aquinas/summa/FP/FP002.html#FPQ2OUTP1

[click here for slides on Thomas Aquinas]

 

(Nov. 15-19) Dante: Inferno (selections)

Canto 1: http://www.online-literature.com/dante/inferno/1/

Canto 2: http://www.online-literature.com/dante/inferno/2/

Canto 3: http://www.online-literature.com/dante/inferno/3/

Canto 4: http://www.online-literature.com/dante/inferno/4/

Canto 32: http://www.online-literature.com/dante/inferno/32/

Canto 33: http://www.online-literature.com/dante/inferno/33/

Canto 34: http://www.online-literature.com/dante/inferno/34/

Essay 2 is due by Nov. 19

November 23, Dr. Bube will be out of town, and November 25 is Thanksgiving Holiday.  Students should use this time to work on their projects.

 Week 15 (Nov. 29-Dec. 3):

Character Presentations